Bryce Baker
{{Short description|American football player}}
{{Infobox college football player
| name = Bryce Baker
| image =
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| school = North Carolina Tar Heels
| pastschools = North Carolina (2025–present)
| currentnumber =
| position = Quarterback
| class = Freshman
| major =
| bowlgames =
| highschool = Walkertown
(Forsyth County, North Carolina)
East Forsyth
(Kernersville, North Carolina)
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| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 205
| highlights =
}}
Bryce Baker is an American football quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Early life
Baker is from Kernersville, North Carolina.{{Cite news|url=https://www.fayobserver.com/story/sports/college/acc/2024/12/14/unc-football-recruiting-bill-belichick-bryce-baker/76980533007/|newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer|title=Bryce Baker sticks with UNC football as first recruit to join Bill Belichick's Tar Heels|author=Baxley, Rodd|date=December 14, 2024}} He attended Walkertown High School before later transferring to East Forsyth High School, and in high school, he played football, basketball, and competed in track and field.{{Cite web|url=https://goheels.com/sports/football/roster/bryce-baker/26485|publisher=North Carolina Tar Heels|title=Bryce Baker}} As a sophomore at Walkertown, he helped lead the team to an 8–3 record while throwing for 1,823 yards and 20 touchdowns.{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/high-school/north-carolina/2023/06/28/4-star-qb-bryce-baker-of-east-forsyth-commits-to-unc|website=Sports Illustrated|title=4-star QB Bryce Baker of East Forsyth commits to UNC|author=Pruitt, Marc|date=June 28, 2023}} He then started at quarterback for East Forsyth as a junior in 2023, passing for 3,082 yards and 39 touchdowns with only three interceptions while leading the team to the second round of the state playoffs.{{Cite web|url=https://myfox8.com/sports/triad-high-school/highlights-east-forsyth-high-school-star-quarterback-bryce-baker-committed-to-unc/|publisher=WGHP|title=Highlights: East Forsyth High School star quarterback Bryce Baker committed to UNC |author=Stamps, Brayden|date=June 5, 2024}}
Prior to his senior season, Baker was invited to the finals of the Elite 11 quarterback competition.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal/164491515/|newspaper=Winston-Salem Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=June 18, 2024|page=B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal/164491605/ B3]|title=On the road to a breakout season|author=Pruitt, Marc}} {{Open access}} He also competed at the Manning Passing Academy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5443129/2024/04/29/north-carolina-quarterback-recruiting-bryce-baker/|website=The Athletic|title=Bryce Baker, with assist from Drake Maye, in line to be next great in-state QB at UNC?|date=April 29, 2024|author=Raynor, Grace}} As a senior in 2024, Baker threw for 3,523 yards and 40 touchdowns with just five interceptions while completing 74.8% of his passes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5993782/2024/12/14/bill-belichick-recruiting-bryce-baker-qb/|website=The Athletic|title=Bill Belichick’s first recruiting win: Top-100 QB Bryce Baker reaffirms commitment to UNC|date=December 14, 2024|author=Raynor, Grace}} He helped the team compile an overall record of 13–1 that year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/42965327/qb-bryce-baker-sticks-unc-praises-belichick-nfl-style|publisher=ESPN|title=QB Bryce Baker sticks with UNC, praises Belichick's NFL style|author=Lederman, Eli|date=December 14, 2024}} Baker, an all-county selection, led East Forsyth to two conference championships and a record of 23–3 in his two years there, having thrown for 6,605 yards and 79 touchdowns along with 536 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Baker committed to play college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels in June 2023. He stayed committed to them and signed with the Tar Heels in December 2024 under new head coach Bill Belichick.{{Cite web|url=https://myfox8.com/sports/triad-high-school/star-east-forsyth-high-school-quarterback-affirms-commitment-to-unc-chapel-hill-after-bill-belichick-hire/|publisher=WGHP|title=Star East Forsyth High School quarterback affirms commitment to UNC Chapel Hill after Bill Belichick hire|date=December 16, 2024|author=Stamps, Brayden}} He was a four-star recruit and was ranked the eighth-best quarterback recruit in the class of 2025 by 247Sports, as well as the 80th-best player overall in the nation.